Latest news in Ukraine: NATO chief and British Johnson warn of a long war

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(Bloomberg) —

The war in Ukraine ‘could last for years’, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told German Bild am Sonntag, adding that the military alliance ‘must not stop supporting’ Kyiv’s struggle to defeat the Russian invasion.

That message was echoed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said in a Sunday Times article that Ukraine’s allies must ‘prepare for a long war’ to ensure it ends on terms. of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

In his daily video address, Zelenskiy said Ukraine « will do everything possible » to alleviate a global food crisis as long as it can secure security for ships to enter the country’s ports. Despite international efforts to reach an agreement, harvests in the country are starting with silos still loaded with last year’s crops.

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Key developments

(every hour CET)

Germany warns of ‘serious’ gas situation (11:18 a.m.)

The German government is taking steps to bolster gas storage levels amid deteriorating market conditions in recent days, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in an emailed statement.

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“Security of supply is currently guaranteed. But the situation is serious,” Habeck said. Gas consumption needs to drop further and more supplies need to be sent to storage facilities « otherwise things will get really tight in the winter ».

Ukraine starts harvest with full silos (11:01 a.m.)

From a dramatic loss of export earnings to fields riddled with mines and destroyed machinery, Russia’s invasion has taken a heavy toll on Ukraine’s agricultural sector.

With ports still closed, farmers are looking for alternatives to store growing stocks of crops while already worrying about how much they will be able to plant for the 2023 season.

NATO chief says war can go on for years (9:55)

The delivery of « modern weapons » by the West will allow Ukraine to drive Russian troops out of the Donbass region, Stoltenberg told the German newspaper.

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At the NATO summit in Madrid later this month, the military alliance will declare « that Russia is no longer a partner, but a threat to our security, peace and stability », it said. he declares. “China will also feature in the newspaper for the first time. Because the rise of China is a challenge to our interests, our values ​​and our security.

Ukraine will get its land back, Zelenskiy Vows (9:45 a.m.)

« We won’t give the south to anyone, we will give back everything that belongs to us, » Zelenskiy said in his video speech. He also promised that Ukraine would do everything possible to ensure that grain supplies leave its ports to help ease a global food crisis caused by the war from Russia, once it receives security guarantees. through international mediation.

The invasion has triggered what many policymakers are warning could be a spiraling food crisis by cutting off shipments of Ukrainian agricultural products. Negotiations facilitated by the United Nations are struggling to make progress, with Ukraine’s Black Sea ports strewn with mines and Russia effectively blocking shipping in the region.

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The governor of Odessa, Ukraine, said 39 civilian ships flying the flags of 14 countries are currently unable to leave ports in the region.

Johnson says time is working against Putin (9:30 a.m.)

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ‘imperial design’ to conquer Ukraine has been derailed and the UK and other countries must continue to provide Ukraine with military and financial aid to ensure it has ‘the ‘strategic endurance’ to prevail in war, Johnson wrote.

While Putin may believe the West is too ‘fickle’ to hold firm, time is ‘inexorably turning’ against him because Russia is spending troops and equipment faster than it can replace them, PM says . Ending the war under the conditions set by Zelenskiy « should be the definition of success ».

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War delays UK coal phase-out (9:20 a.m.)

When the COP26 climate talks ended in November, Johnson said the world had reached a tipping point in phasing out coal. The UK is now aiming to keep a reserve of coal-fired power stations available this winter rather than closing almost all of them over the next three months as planned.

Efforts to get rid of dirty electricity are slowed as Russia’s war in Ukraine hits European economies, forcing countries to offset limited gas supplies with soaring energy prices fueling inflation .

Ukraine says Russian missiles hit oil depot (9:11 a.m.)

Three Russian missiles hit an oil depot in the Dnipropetrovsk region yesterday and firefighters are still working to extinguish the blaze, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said in an operational update.

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Russian troops shelled a residential block in the town of Seredyna-Buda in the Sumy region near the border with Russia. Mykolaiv in the south was attacked with missiles twice, hitting infrastructure and a residential building.

Russian forces are shelling areas near the city of Sievierodonetsk in the eastern Luhansk region and fighting continues for full control of the city, according to the ministry.

Russian military facing morale problems, UK says (9:01 a.m.)

While Ukrainian forces have likely suffered desertions in recent weeks amid « heavy fighting » in the Donbass region, « Russian morale most likely remains particularly troubled », the UK Ministry of Defense said in its latest update. information day.

“Cases of entire Russian units refusing orders and armed clashes between officers and their troops continue to occur,” he said. Perceived poor leadership and very heavy casualties are among the factors affecting morale, while many Russian troops « remain confused » about the aims of the war, according to the ministry.